Agenda and minutes

Councillor Mark Packard called for nominations for Chairman of Chippenham Area Board for the forthcoming year.

Decision

Councillor Desna Allen was elected Chairman of the Chippenham Area Board for the forthcoming year.

Councillor Allen in the Chair.

The Chairman called for nominations for Vice-Chairman of Chippenham Area Board for the forthcoming year.

Decision

Councillor Mark Packard was elected Vice-Chairman of Chippenham Area Board for the forthcoming year.

The Chairman thanked everyone for attending the meeting of the Chippenham Area Board and welcomed Councillor Keith Humphries, Cabinet member for Public Health and Protection Services.

The Chairman reminded everyone that evaluation forms had been placed on every table, and welcomed comments or suggestions on how the Area Board meeting could be improved. Suggestions for future agenda items were also welcomed.

Apologies for absence were received from Mary Pile of Chippenham Town Council and Tim Martienssen of the Chippenham Vision.

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on Monday 9 May 2011.

Decision

The minutes of the meeting held on Monday 9 May 2011 were agreed a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

There were no declarations of interest.

To confirm the Area Board’s representatives to outside bodies for 2011/12.

Decision

The Area Board noted the representatives to outside bodies that were nominated in 2010/11 and agreed that these would continue for the forthcoming year.

To include, but not limited to, the following:

      i.        Road Safety ‘Safe Drive - Stay Alive’ Campaign

    ii.        Help Plan for Wiltshire’s Future

   iii.        Waste Prevention Volunteer Training

   iv.        Receipt of Petitions.

The Chairman referred to a number of written announcements; full details of which were included within the agenda.

A petition was presented to the Chairman of the Area Board opposing the recent rise in car parking charges. The petition had 3,007 signatures so far and this number was expected to rise. Both retailers and residents were concerned at the rise in parking charges and the detrimental effect this was having on the town.

Action

The petition would be passed to Councillor Dick Tonge, Cabinet member for Highways and Transport, and the relevant officers.

The Area Board requested that statistics be made available for car park use and revenue both prior to the rise in charges, and since the rise.

The petition would be brought to the attention of the Chairman of the Council for potential consideration at the meeting of the Council on Tuesday 12 July 2011.

To note the written reports and receive updates from any partners who wish to contribute:

      i.        Children’s Parliament

    ii.        Wiltshire Police

   iii.        Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service

   iv.        NHS Wiltshire

    v.        Parish and Town Councils

   vi.        Chippenham and Villages Area Partnership (ChAP)

  vii.        Chippenham Vision

viii.        Community Area Young People’s Issues Group (CAYPIG)

   ix.        Lyneham Steering Group

    x.        Westlea Housing Association.

Updates from partners were received as follows:

      i.        Children’s Parliament

The Children’s Parliament announced that 13 schools in the Chippenham area had teamed up with Bristol Zoo to launch the ‘Wow! Gorillas’ project to celebrate the Zoo’s 175^th anniversary. The project involved 13 3-foot gorilla sculptures that each school had decorated and these would be placed in sites around the town.

Children from Monkton Park School presented their gorilla, named Jungle Jim, to the Area Board and this would go on display in the Monkton Park Offices of Wiltshire Council. Children from Ivy Lane Primary School presented their gorilla, named Gordon, to Chippenham Town Council and this would go on display in the Town Hall.

The 13 gorillas would form part of a ‘trail’, and maps were available in all civic buildings around the town.

    ii.        Wiltshire Police

The written report from Wiltshire Police was noted. Inspector Steve Cox reported that recent changes to the beat teams and neighbourhood policing teams had resulted in a more efficient service and the number of police officers had not decreased.

Inspector Cox commented on the improving detection rates, which were actually higher than reported due to the local resolution figures not being included. Total crime levels had reduced, with particular reductions in criminal damage and violence against the person.

It had been reported recently that the Police would be concentrating more efforts on the enforcement of the Designated Public Place Orders around the town centre. Although this power had been in force since 2008, and the Police had utilised their powers as and when required, the particular focus on this issue now was in response to a higher level of anti-social behaviour that had been experienced recently.

Wiltshire Police Authority

Councillor Chris Caswill provided an update on the recent public consultation carried out by the Wiltshire Police Authority. The consultation had identified three main priorities which were now embedded in the Policing Plan, these were; frontline policing, Neighbourhood Policing Teams/Police Community Support Officers, and response times.

The Authority was required to make savings of £15million over four years, and savings of £4million had already been achieved in year one. This had been achieved by a freeze in recruitment, and redundancies amongst support staff. There was also a single-command unit in Wiltshire now, and direct communications technology had improved significantly.

   iii.        Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service

The written report was noted. Mike Franklin reported that the total number of fires had reduced, particularly deliberate fires. Fire Safety Checks were also continuing to be carried out in people’s homes.

   iv.        NHS Wiltshire

The written report for July was tabled at the meeting and noted. There was no further update.

    v.        Parish and Town Councils

Written updates were received and noted from Castle Combe Parish Council, Christian Malford Parish Council, Grittleton Parish Council and Kington Langley Parish Council. Further updates were received as follows:

Seagry Parish Council

The asset transfer of Seagry parish allotments had now been successfully completed. Parish Clerks were now required to be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

To receive updates on the Area Board’s Priorities, as follows:

      i.        Road Safety – Lead Councillor: Bill Douglas

    ii.        Skate Park – Lead Councillor: Paul Darby

   iii.        Health and Wellbeing – Lead Councillor: Peter Hutton

   iv.        Night Time Economy – Lead Councillor: Peter Hutton

    v.        Employment – Lead Partner: Chippenham Vision.

Updates on Area Board Priorities were received as follows:

      i.        Road Safety – Councillor Bill Douglas reported on the following priorities:

·         Children’s Parliament – Councillor Douglas had attended a meeting of the Children’s Parliament on 14 June as part of a safety campaign. Particular emphasis was being placed on safety measures on roundabouts.

·         ‘20 is Plenty’ campaign – Trials of 20mph speed limits were currently underway in some villages in the county. Councillor Douglas felt that 20mph speed limits should be introduced around all schools in the Chippenham Community Area, and the whole county. After some debate on the pros and cons it was decided that this matter would be dealt with on the agenda of the next Area Board meeting.

·         Community Speedwatch – dramatic results were being achieved by parishes using this scheme which showed the excellent effect that the scheme was having in areas where speeding was a problem.

·         A350 Safety Measures – the results of the Coroner’s inquest into the fatal accident on the A350 were awaited.

    ii.        Skate Park – Councillor Paul Darby reported that potential sites for a skate park were being considered and advice had been sought from contractors regarding their suitability. An independent acoustic engineer would be asked to survey potential sites before any public consultation to ensure an informed decision could be made.

   iii.        Health and Wellbeing – Councillor Peter Hutton thanked the Area Board for its continued support of this priority. Successful events had been held earlier in the year and further events were planned for September/October. Further updates would be brought to the next Area Board meeting.

   iv.        Night Time Economy – Councillor Peter Hutton reported that a meeting of the Night Time Economy Group had been held last Thursday and a key priority was the Chippenham Alive project, which was seeking funding from the Area Board later on the agenda. The Street Pastors scheme would be rolled out mid-September in partnership with Wiltshire Police, and the Group was also continuing to look at the Taxi Marshall scheme.

    v.        Employment – John Clark, on behalf of Chippenham Vision, reported that key priorities remained the shortage of employment and the response to the Core Strategy. The Vision welcomed the emphasis on employment land in the Core Strategy, and recent work undertaken by the Vision had led to a county-wide study on employment provision.

To receive information on the new strategy that will affect youth services in the area.

Jane Shuttleworth, Interim Head of Joint Commissioning, gave a presentation on the new draft 13 to 19 Commissioning Strategy that would affect youth services in the Chippenham Community Area.

The key outcome of the draft Strategy was to improve outcomes for young people aged 13 to 19 in Wiltshire. It had a broad scope and included health, education, housing, leisure, teenage pregnancy, youth crime and safeguarding.

A Youth Strategy Group was coordinating the draft Strategy and various events and workshops involving young people had been held get their views on issues and priorities.

Savings of £600,000 needed to be met from the Youth Development budget, and four suggestions had been made for future youth work services that could potentially achieve savings.

Following the presentation the following comments and queries arose:

·         Partnership working between the voluntary sector and the police was very important, and interesting work was happening in Swindon around this. It was confirmed that this was already happening and that contact had been made with the Chief Constable of Wiltshire Police. Key partners, such as the Police, were also invited to attend meetings of the Chippenham Youth Strategy Task Group.

·         The savings that had to be made equated to 19% of the budget, but it was important to note that this related to 19% of the Youth Development budget; not the entire youth service.

·         The draft Strategy had 14 consultation questions which were listed at the back of the document. It was hoped that as many people and groups as possible would provide a response.

Full details of the draft Strategy could be found in the consultation document on www.wiltshire.gov.uk or by calling 0300 456 1000. Any feedback or comments on the consultation should be sent to pathways@wiltshire.gov.uk.

The Chairman thanked Jane for the presentation and encouraged people to read the draft Strategy and provide a response.

To receive a report from Mark Rippon, Community Safety Officer, regarding the proposal for a designated graffiti wall in an attempt to combat and address graffiti in Chippenham. The Area Board will be asked to decide whether to support such an initiative.

Mark Rippon, Community Safety Officer, presented proposals for a graffiti wall in Chippenham, in an attempt to address and combat graffiti in the town.

It was reported that there had been an increase in graffiti attacks around Chippenham and the Police had suggested that a designated graffiti wall could be a solution. The graffiti wall would be regularly painted over by the artists themselves to ensure continued use of the wall.

A few potential sites had been considered, which included the rear of the Millennium Wall, underneath Westmead Bridge and underneath Gladstone Road Bridge. Both of the bridge sites currently have a lot of graffiti already, and the Gladstone Road Bridge was considered the most suitable option because it was already regularly patrolled by the Police.

It was proposed that, following the pilot phase, the project would be evaluated and the Police would be consulted to decide how to take the matter forward. It was also suggested that graffiti competitions could be held across the county.

Decision

The Area Board supported the proposal for a six-month pilot for a graffiti wall to be designated on the walls under the Gladstone Road Bridge in Chippenham, and agreed to explore the possibility of a graffiti competition at the earliest opportunity.

a)    Community Area Grants

To consider the following application to the Community Area Grants Scheme 2011/12:

                      i.        Chippenham & Villages Area Partnership - £990 requested to launch the ‘Chippenham Alive’ Project.

b)    Chippenham & Villages Area Partnership

To consider the allocation of the first tranche of funding to Chippenham & Villages Area Partnership.

a)    Community Area Grants

The Area Board considered one application to the Community Area Grants Scheme 2011/12, as follows:

                      i.        Chippenham & Villages Area Partnership - £990 requested to launch the ‘Chippenham Alive’ project.

Decision

The Area Board awarded the sum of £990 to Chippenham & Villages Area Partnership.

Reason: The application met the Community Area Grant criteria 2011/12 and demonstrated a link to the Chippenham & Villages Community Plan.

b)    Chippenham & Villages Area Partnership

The Area Board considered the allocation of the first tranche of funding to the Chippenham & Villages Area Partnership.

Decision

The Area Board awarded the sum of £9,771.58 to Chippenham & Villages Area Partnership, with an agreement to release the first tranche of £4,885.80 immediately. The Area Board agreed to release the second tranche in November 2011 on condition that the conditions set by the Community Partnership Officer, and agreed by the Board, have been met.

To consider recommendations from the Chippenham Community Area Transport Group for small-scale transport improvements and to prioritise local schemes.

The Area Board considered recommendations from the Chippenham Community Area Transport Group for the prioritisation of schemes for funding from the 2011/12 highway’s budget.

Decision

The Area Board approved the following schemes for funding from the Chippenham Area Highways Budget 2011/12:

1.    Christian Malford, Main Road/Station Road – allocate £6,000 to design and implement a footway link and pedestrian safety improvements.

2.    Lowden and Rowden Hill – allocate £10,000 to build 2 no. Pedestrian refuges; one on Lowden and a further one on Rowden Hill (Close to Chippenham Community Hospital).

3.    Chippenham, Pewsham, near Forest Lane – allocate £4,000 for the provision of pedestrian/cycle improvements.

4.    Chippenham, Pewsham, Canal Road/Pewsham Way – allocate £9,000 for the provision of a new footway link and changes to the existing splitter island to allow pedestrian movement.

5.    Queens Crescent, Chippenham – allocate £1,500 to undertake a full pedestrian crossing assessment.

To receive a presentation from Lucy Murray-Brown, Campus and Operational Delivery Programme, on proposals for a Community Campus in Chippenham Community Area, as detailed in the attached Cabinet paper dated 15 February 2011.

The Area Board will be asked to consider and approve proposals for the campus delivery and associated Terms of Reference, and will invite expressions of interest from those wishing to sit on the Shadow Community Operations Board.

Lucy Murray-Brown of Wiltshire Council’s Transformation Programme gave a presentation on proposals to develop a Community Campus in Chippenham Community Area; a Community Campus being a building, or buildings, in a community area that would provide the services the local community needed in an accessible location.

Local community involvement was critical to the success of the Campus project, and the aim was to reduce the long term financial, environmental and operational pressures on operating aging, low quality buildings.

Community Campus’s had potential to co-locate with partner and voluntary organisations, and core criteria to all campus buildings included a shared reception, community space, accessible IT provision, personal care facilities and catering facilities.

The indicative sequence of events for the development of a Chippenham Community Campus was as follows:

•         Initial Area Board meeting – July 2011

•         Audit and research work – summer/autumn 2011

•         Community consultation phase one – autumn 2011

•         Community consultation phase two – spring 2012

•         Area Board consideration – summer 2012

•         Council formal consideration – autumn 2012

•         Detailed design, planning – autumn/winter 2012/2013

•         Construction – spring 2013

•         Community Campus in place spring 2014

In developing the Community Campus’s, Wiltshire Council was testing the principles of community led management of local services.

It was proposed that a Shadow Community Operations Board would be set up in order to, subject to the agreement of the Area Board, take on a key role in coordinating and leading the project.

Following the presentation a number of comments and queries arose, as follows:

·         Chippenham Community Area was one of the largest community areas in the county with a large town council and a large rural population. It was therefore important that the Shadow Community Operations Board contained provision for one town council representative and one parish council representative.

·         The Chippenham Vision Master-planning process should complement the work of the Shadow Community Operations Board and duplication of work should be avoided.

·         Although the Shadow Community Operations Board would contain non-elected members, the Area Board remained the democratically accountable body, with the Shadow Community Operations Board providing recommendations where appropriate.

·         The closing date for expressions of interest needed to be extended until at least the end of July to allow time for various groups to be fully briefed on the proposals.

·         Following this evening’s meeting, a dedicated page on the Wiltshire Council website would be set-up with information on the proposals for a Chippenham Community Campus.

·         It was imperative to get the right publicity out in the public domain. It was suggested that the Wiltshire Council van could be placed on the High Street in Chippenham to engage with the general public.

·         Meetings of the Shadow Community Operations Board would not be open to the public, but notes of the meeting would be made publicly available on the Wiltshire Council website and in Area Board agenda papers.

Decision

The Area Board agreed:

1.    To approve the proposals for the campus delivery.

2.    To approve the draft Terms  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15.

The Chairman will invite any remaining questions from the floor and will welcome the submission of new Community Issues.

The next agenda planning meeting will take place on Wednesday 3 August at 2pm at Monkton Park offices. Any parish or town council representative interested in attending should contact the Community Area Manager or the Chairman.

The meeting is asked to note the future meeting dates below and is reminded to complete the evaluation forms in the packs.

The Forward Plan is attached for information.

The Chairman thanked everyone for attending the meeting and encouraged the completion of feedback forms.

The next agenda planning meeting would take place on Wednesday 3 August 2011 at 2pm at Monkton Park, and any parish or town council rep wishing to attend should contact the Community Area Manager or the Chairman.

The next meeting of the Chippenham Area Board would take place on Monday 12 September 2011, 7.00pm at Abbeyfield School.